“Leaders need more empathy” is one of the most common pieces of advice in modern leadership, and one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, we challenge the idea that empathy is always the right answer. We explore when empathy actually makes leadership harder, why highly empathetic leaders burn out faster, and how emotional overload can quietly blur boundaries, create favoritism, and lead to poor decisions.

We break down the real differences between sympathy, empathy, and compassion in plain language, and explain why effective leadership requires all three, just not at the same time. You’ll hear how sympathy can acknowledge struggle without absorbing it, how compassion leads to action without emotional exhaustion, and why empathy is powerful but limited in leadership roles.

This conversation is for leaders who care deeply about their people but don’t want to sacrifice clarity, fairness, or their own well-being in the process. If you’ve ever struggled to support someone while still holding standards, felt drained by emotional labor, or wondered how to say “I care” without carrying everything, this episode offers a healthier, more sustainable model of care.

Because leadership isn’t about feeling everything. t’s about responding in the way that helps people grow.

#podcast #leadership #management #psychology

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Ready to take your personal development to the next level? Visit www.theleadershipmovement.net to request access to our FREE quick start guides, self-assessments, and other resources that you can use to turn your new knowledge into practice.

January is where a lot of managers lose their teams.

The holidays end, inboxes explode, priorities multiply, and suddenly everyone is expected to “hit the ground running” like nothing happened. Motivation drops, burnout creeps in, and leadership defaults to pressure instead of clarity.

In this episode, we break down how great managers approach January differently. Not with hype, resolutions, or new rules, but by setting the right tone, rebuilding trust, and giving people clarity when they need it most. We talk about the one meeting that actually matters, the mistakes that quietly kill engagement, and how to motivate teams without overpromising or ignoring reality.

If you manage people, or plan to, this episode gives you practical, people-first ways to start the year without burning out your team or yourself. Because January doesn’t need more pressure. It needs better leadership.

#leadership #management #careers #podcast

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Ready to take your personal development to the next level? Visit www.theleadershipmovement.net to request access to our FREE quick start guides, self-assessments, and other resources that you can use to turn your new knowledge into practice.

Most companies aren’t failing because people don’t work hard enough. They’re failing because the system is working against them.

In this episode, we break down five common ways businesses quietly sabotage their own success, often while chasing growth, efficiency, or revenue. From overmanagement and weak leadership to confusing tactics with strategy and trying to force change with tools, we unpack what actually holds organizations back.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by pointless processes, constant “priorities,” burned-out managers, or change initiatives that go nowhere, this episode will help you understand why. More importantly, it gives you language and frameworks to make sense of what you’re experiencing at work, protect your energy, and think more clearly about leadership, strategy, and where real value is created.

This conversation is for people who want healthier workplaces, better leadership, and systems that don’t punish the people doing the actual work.

Support the show

Ready to take your personal development to the next level? Visit www.theleadershipmovement.net to request access to our FREE quick start guides, self-assessments, and other resources that you can use to turn your new knowledge into practice.